CN116811247A - A 3D printing system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a 3D printing system and method. The system includes: a first unit used to store ink with solid particles; a third unit used to eject the ink to print to form a 3D structure. The 3D printing system is configured with an edge. A second unit for preprocessing ink is arranged in the horizontal direction, and the second storage part of the second unit can receive the ink flowing out of the first unit and store the ink until there is a printing demand and output it to the third unit, wherein the second unit The second storage part can at least make the upward lifting speed of the ink greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of at least part of the solid particles in the ink by rotating along the axis during the storage period of the second unit storing the ink, so as to perform pretreatment of the ink. The method includes: moving the movable part in a direction away from the opening to introduce ink into the second storage part; rotating the second storage part around an axis to drive the ink to rotate; and moving the movable part in a direction close to the opening to discharge the ink into the second storage part. Storage Department.

Description

A 3D printing system and method

Technical field

The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to a 3D printing system and method.

Background technique

Bio 3D printing refers to printing biological materials (including natural biological materials and synthetic biological materials or cell solutions) into designed three-dimensional structures through the principles and methods of 3D printing. Different from ordinary 3D printing technology, biological 3D printing technology produces Biological tissues or organs also have certain biological functions and need to provide conditions for the further growth of cells and tissues. It is precisely because of the above characteristics that biological 3D printing technology faces many specific technical problems in the development.

CN104552956A discloses a clean and easy-to-use biomaterial printing nozzle. The printing nozzle includes a nozzle shell, a biomaterial extrusion drive module, a contact temperature control module, and a biomaterial quick replacement module; the biomaterial extrusion drive module includes, from top to bottom, a high-precision servo electric cylinder, an electric cylinder push rod, and an annular The magnetic steel limiter and syringe push rod head are set coaxially; the contact temperature control module includes a semiconductor refrigeration piece, an external fluid cooling circulation system, a fixed gland, and the hot end surface of the semiconductor refrigeration piece is attached to the liquid cooling head. The cold end face is attached to the inner wall of the fixed gland; the biological material replacement module includes a syringe, a cooling sleeve and a heat preservation sleeve; magnets with different magnetic poles are provided in the magnet installation holes of the fixed gland and the cooling sleeve.

CN105670918A discloses a bioprinter nozzle assembly and a bioprinter. The bioprinter nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and an extension rod spaced apart from the nozzle and adjacent to the outlet of the nozzle. An elongated flow channel is provided in the extension rod for use. The fluid printing unit of bioprinting material is directed and ejected through the flow channel. The bioprinter nozzle assembly is provided with an extension rod with an elongated flow channel adjacent to the outlet of the nozzle, and the fluid printing unit used as the bioprinting material is ejected in a direction through the flow channel. The elongated flow channel can perform the printing on the fluid printing unit. Directional sorting reduces the possibility of blocking.

However, the nozzle mechanism in the prior art is usually placed vertically, and its height direction is relatively long, so the particle precipitation phenomenon is obvious, and the structure printed first is the area with the most serious particle precipitation, which will cause the structure to be printed first to have more particles. The subsequent printing of structural particles will be uneven with few particles, and it can easily lead to nozzle clogging. Especially when the ink is selected as a low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles, the unevenness of the printed structure will be amplified, making it difficult to apply to A 3D printing process that requires high printing accuracy.

In addition, on the one hand, there are differences in the understanding of those skilled in the art; on the other hand, the applicant studied a large number of documents and patents when making the present invention, but due to space limitations, all details and contents are not listed in detail. However, this is by no means The present invention does not have these features of the prior art. On the contrary, the present invention already has all the features of the prior art, and the applicant reserves the right to add relevant prior art to the background art.

Contents of the invention

In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention provides a 3D printing system and method to solve at least part of the above technical problems.

The invention discloses a 3D printing system, which includes: a first unit used to store ink with solid particles; and a third unit used to eject the ink to print to form a 3D structure. Preferably, the first unit can usually be used as the storage mechanism of the 3D printing system, the second unit can usually be used as the nozzle mechanism of the 3D printing system, and the third unit can usually be used as the nozzle mechanism of the 3D printing system.

Preferably, the 3D printing system is configured with a second unit arranged in a horizontal direction for preprocessing ink. The second storage part of the second unit can receive the ink flowing out of the first unit and store the ink until there is a printing demand. Output to the third unit, wherein the second storage part can at least make the upward lifting speed of the ink greater than or equal to the settling speed of at least part of the solid particles in the ink by rotating along the axis during the period when the second unit stores the ink, so as to Perform preprocessing of the ink.

The nozzle mechanism of conventional 3D printing systems (i.e., the second unit of the present invention) is placed vertically, and its height direction is relatively long. The particle precipitation phenomenon is obvious, and the structure printed first is the area with the most serious particle precipitation, which will This creates an uneven phenomenon in which the structure particles printed first have more particles, while the structures printed subsequently have fewer particles. The difference is that the second unit of the present invention is placed horizontally, which reduces the distance in the height direction and reduces the total number of precipitated particles per unit area at the bottom. It also makes the sequence of the printed structures unfold horizontally, that is, close to the opening side. The ink comes out first, and the deposition direction is the height direction. There will be no obvious difference in the total number of particles between the first printed structure and the last printed structure.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second storage part can rotate around the axis based on the driving of a third motor, wherein the third motor is controlled by a control signal generated by the control unit to drive the second storage part to perform a single operation. Continuous rotation in one direction or swing rotation in both directions.

The present invention prevents sedimentation of low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles by rotating a horizontally placed second storage part around an axis and driving the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles in the second storage part to also rotate synchronously. Function.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second storage part is equipped with a movable part that is driven by the second motor and moves along the axis of the second storage part. The movable part can move away from the opening in a direction that increases the storage space. In order to introduce the ink into the second storage part, the movable member can move in a direction close to the opening with a tendency of reducing the storage space to discharge the ink out of the second storage part.

The present invention adopts a stirring method without a stirring blade, which can use a motor to push a movable part (such as a piston) to output ink, instead of using a pneumatic jetting method with a stirring blade to output ink. This is due to the pneumatic jetting. The method is constant pressure injection, not constant flow injection. The injection flow rate is related to the gas pressure, the internal structure of the pipeline, and the ink viscosity. When printing materials whose viscosity changes slightly during the printing process, it is easy to cause uneven flow and produce failures. At the same time, pneumatic printing is generally difficult to control the printing of low-viscosity materials. The cost of an air valve with a control accuracy of about 0.1kPa is much higher than a motor structure with the same control accuracy. Therefore, the rotatable second storage part placed in the horizontal direction of the present invention can use a motor to push the movable part to output ink, thereby achieving better printing stability and control accuracy at a low cost.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second unit is connected to the first unit and the third unit respectively through different communication parts, wherein each communication part is provided with a corresponding on-off part for independent signal connection to the control unit, in response to the All on-off parts of the control unit control signal can be set so as not to be in a connected state at the same time.

Generally, the printing accuracy of the motor pushing the piston to output the ink has a negative correlation with the diameter of the second storage part. Therefore, in general, in order to improve the printing accuracy, the diameter of the second storage part should not be too large, but a small diameter second storage part will This brings about the disadvantage that manual replenishment is required during the continuous production process, which affects the printing efficiency. The invention uses a control unit to automatically control each on-off part and each motor, so that the second storage part can automatically replenish materials on demand from the sealed first storage part with a relatively larger storage space, thereby achieving high-efficiency printing. . And the feeding process, material storage process and/or discharging process of the second unit can be adjusted through the control signal generated by the control unit, so that the 3D printing system of the present invention can further improve the printing accuracy and print the internal materials of the structure. The distribution is more even.

According to a preferred embodiment, a collection unit for acquiring data information related to solid particles in the ink can be configured on the first communication portion connected to the first unit and the second unit, wherein the solid particles Relevant data information at least includes particle number and/or particle size.

The collection unit of the present invention can use an optical particle counting method to obtain data information related to solid particles contained in the ink flowing in the first communication part, wherein the data information related to the solid particles can at least include the number of particles and/or Particle size.

According to a preferred embodiment, the control unit can at least adjust the output power of the second motor based on the data information related to the solid particles acquired by the collection unit and/or the physical and chemical properties of the ink.

The control unit of the present invention can determine the number and/or particle size of solid particles entering the second storage unit in any time series based on the data information obtained by the acquisition unit, and can simulate each time series batch based on the physical and chemical properties of the ink. Next time, different solid particles enter the cavity of the second storage part with the ink and stay at the position, thereby determining the real-time distribution status of the solid particles in the second storage part, and generating in time a control signal at least used to regulate the operating status of the second unit. To achieve a substantially uniform distribution of solid particles in the second storage part based on quantity and/or particle size factors.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first unit is configured with a first storage portion for holding ink, and a stirring blade driven by a first motor to rotate can be disposed in the first storage portion.

Such an arrangement can enable the ink held in the first storage part to be in a stirred and moving state, so as to prevent precipitation of low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first storage part is provided with an air valve limited to one-way opening, wherein the opening degree of the air valve can be adjusted at least based on a change in the stirring mode of the stirring blade.

Since ink is generally a non-Newtonian compressible fluid, and the material tube, barrel, etc. may have a certain pressure deformation, during the printing process, the ink that has accumulated a certain pressure will continue to spray outward through the nozzle to release the pressure after stopping printing. , this phenomenon of continued ink flow is generally called salivation. In order to prevent the salivation phenomenon from affecting the surface quality of the printed structure, the 3D printing system of the present invention can use the first on-off part to close and lock the pressure in the first storage part, so as to greatly reduce the salivation phenomenon and improve the forming quality.

According to a preferred embodiment, the third unit is configured with nozzles arranged in a vertical direction, and the ink ejected from the nozzles to the forming platform is at least adjusted in temperature by a temperature control component, wherein the moving component configured in the third unit can Adjust the relative positional relationship between the nozzle and the forming platform.

Such an arrangement allows the temperature control component to heat up or cool down the ink that is about to be ejected according to the needs of ink printing, so that the ink sprayed onto the forming platform through the nozzle can meet the temperature required for the printing structure.

The invention also discloses a 3D printing method. The 3D printing method includes the following steps:

During the feeding process of the second unit, the movable member is moved in a direction away from the opening with a tendency to increase the storage space to introduce the ink into the second storage part;

During the storage process of the second unit, the second storage part is rotated around the axis to drive the ink in the second storage part to rotate. The second storage part can lift the ink upward at a speed greater than or equal to that of at least part of the solid particles in the ink. The precipitation speed rotates in a manner;

During the discharging process of the second unit, the movable member is moved in a direction closer to the opening with a tendency of reducing the storage space to discharge the ink from the second storage part.

Preferably, at least the feeding process, storage process and/or discharging process of the second unit can be adjusted through the control signal generated by the control unit.

Description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a simplified overall structural schematic diagram of the 3D printing system of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a simplified module connection relationship of a 3D printing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

List of reference signs

1: Nozzle; 2: Temperature control component; 3: Second communication part; 4: Second on-off part; 5: Second storage part; 6: Movable part; 7: Second motor; 8: Third motor; 9 : Transition part; 10: First storage part; 11: Air valve; 12: Mixing blade; 13: First motor; 14: First communication part; 15: First on-off part; 16: Forming platform; 100: No. One unit; 200: second unit; 300: third unit; 400: control unit; 500: acquisition unit.

Detailed ways

A detailed description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of the overall structure of the 3D printing system of the present invention; Figure 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of the module connection relationship of the 3D printing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Example 1

The invention discloses a 3D printing system, especially a 3D printing system suitable for low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles, which at least includes a first unit 100 for storing ink, a unit for preprocessing the ink The second unit 200 and the third unit 300 for inkjet printing, wherein the second unit 200 for preprocessing the ink can at least partially prevent precipitation. Preferably, the ink can be stored in the first unit 100 first. When a printing operation needs to be performed, the ink in the first unit 100 can be introduced into the second unit 200 first, and the ink temporarily stored in the second unit 200 can be The ink is then introduced into the third unit 300 according to actual printing requirements, and finally the ink is ejected through the third unit 300 . Preferably, the 3D printing system may also include a control unit 400 that is communicatively connected to the first unit 100 , the second unit 200 and/or the third unit 300 respectively, wherein the control unit 400 can be based on one or more data obtained by the collection unit 500 parameters to generate control signals for controlling the first unit 100, the second unit 200 and/or the third unit 300.

Preferably, the ink can be stored in the inner cavity of the first storage part 10 of the first unit 100, and a highest liquid level line and a lowest liquid level line are provided in the inner cavity of the first storage part 10, and the ink is stored in the first storage part 10. Any storage state in 10 should be maintained within the space defined by the highest liquid level line and the lowest liquid level line, wherein the ink in the first storage part 10 at least includes a static storage state and a dynamic storage state. Preferably, the ink can usually be stored in the first storage part 10 in a dynamic storage state to avoid the precipitation of solid particles in the ink, wherein at least when the ink stored in the first storage part 10 is lower than the lowest liquid level line Like replenishing new ink in the first storage part 10, the ink in the first storage part 10 can be placed in a static storage state when replenishing the ink. Preferably, the volume of the first storage part 10 may be further preferably 500ml-5L.

Preferably, the ink in the first storage part 10 can at least be switched to a dynamic storage state driven by the stirring blade 12, and the stirring blade 12 can at least be submerged by the ink, wherein the stirring blade 12 can be any stirring blade. The shape is such that the stirring blade 12 rotates around the rotating axis under the drive of the first motor 13, thereby realizing the anti-sedimentation function of the first unit 100 for low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles.

Preferably, the first storage part 10 is provided with a gas valve 11 for one-way flow from the outside to the inside of the first storage part 10, so that only gas is allowed to enter the inside from the outside of the first storage part 10, and gas is not allowed to flow from the first storage part 10 to the inside. The inside of the storage part 10 is discharged. This arrangement can reduce or even avoid the volatilization of the ink, and can replenish the air pressure in the first storage part 10 in time. Further, the air valve 11 may be disposed above the highest ink level line of the first storage part 10 , and is preferably disposed on the top of the first storage part 10 .

Preferably, since the stirring effect of the stirring blade 12 and the pressure control effect of the air valve 11 can promote or inhibit the volatilization of ink, the control unit 400 can at least be based on the current ink inventory, ink temperature, top air pressure, etc. in the first storage unit 10 Parameters regulate the operating parameters of the stirring blade 12 and/or the air valve 11, wherein the regulation of the stirring mode of the stirring blade 12 can at least include the stirring speed and/or the stirring direction, and the regulation of the operating parameters of the air valve 11 can at least include Including the opening timing of the air valve 11 and/or the parameters of the air pump connected to the air valve 11 .

Preferably, the ink in the first storage part 10 can enter the second storage part 5 configured in the second unit 200 through the first communication part 14, wherein the second storage part 5 is configured with an adjustable space for temporarily storing ink. In the cavity, the ink temporarily stored in the second storage part 5 can then enter the nozzle 1 configured in the third unit 300 through the second communication part 3 .

Preferably, the first communication part 14 and the second communication part 3 can be configured as a tubular structure, and the materials thereof can be selected from materials that do not react with the ink, and can be further preferably made of hard tubes to reduce pressure accumulation on the tube wall. . Preferably, both the first communication part 14 and the second communication part 3 can be configured with corresponding on-off parts, and the on-off parts can at least be used to adjust the opening of the tubular communication part to control the ink flow rate, wherein, The on-off part may be one or a combination of two of solenoid valves, piezoelectric valves and motor valves, and may further preferably be a small inner diameter pipe valve. Further, the first connection part 15 configured on the first communication part 14 and the second connection part 4 configured on the second communication part 3 can be respectively connected with the control unit 400 in communication to receive the command sent by the control unit 400. A control signal for switching the on-off state, wherein the control unit 400 can at least send a control signal for "switching the connection state" for the first on-off part 15 and the second on-off part 4 at the same time, that is, the first on-off part 15 and the second on-off part 4 The two on-off parts 4 are not in the connected state at the same time, or at least one on-off part is in the blocked state.

Preferably, the third motor 8 configured in the horizontally placed second unit 200 can drive the transition portion 9 to rotate when starting. The transition portion 9 is connected to one end of the second storage portion 5 through at least part of the structure to drive the second storage portion 5 . The storage unit 5 rotates synchronously. Preferably, the rotation mode of the third motor 8 can be controlled by the control unit 400, for example, it can be continuous rotation in one direction, counterclockwise or clockwise, or it can be swing rotation in a combination of clockwise and counterclockwise rotation angles, and further preferably The swing rotation in one direction does not exceed 360 degrees, in which the rotation of the third motor 8 at least ensures that the upward lifting speed of the ink is greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of the particles in the ink.

Preferably, the ink can flow into and/or out of the second storage portion 5 through an opening disposed at one end of the second storage portion 5 (horizontally). Preferably, the movable member 6 configured in the second storage part 5 defines the storage space of the ink in the second storage part 5. The movable part 6 can be configured as a piston or a structure with the same properties as the piston to achieve a large space. Adjustable sealing partition, in which the size of the storage space is adjusted by adjusting the position of the movable part 6 in the second storage part 5, the movable part 6 moves in the direction away from the opening to increase the storage space, and the movable part 6 moves towards the opening The direction of the opening is moved to reduce storage space. Furthermore, the movement of the movable member 6 in the inner cavity of the second storage part 5 can provide power for the inflow and/or outflow of the ink. Preferably, the volume of the second storage part 5 may be 0-50 ml, and further preferably 0-10 ml.

Preferably, the third unit 300 arranged in the vertical direction may at least include the printing nozzle 1 and the forming platform 16 , wherein the forming platform 16 provided below the printing nozzle 1 in the vertical direction can receive the ink ejected by the printing nozzle 1 . Preferably, the inner diameter of the printing nozzle 1 can be 0.01 to 3 mm, and more preferably 0.05 to 0.8 mm.

Preferably, the third unit 300 can be configured with a movement component for adjusting the three-dimensional spatial relationship between the nozzle 1 and the forming platform 16, so as to realize the three-dimensional movement of the nozzle 1 and/or the forming platform 16 through the movement component, wherein the movement The movement of the assembly can be controlled by the control unit 400 to achieve precise positioning of the ejected ink based on the relative movement of the nozzle 1 and the forming platform 16 . Furthermore, a temperature control assembly 2 can be configured in a partial area between the second connecting portion 4 and the nozzle 1 (especially close to the nozzle 1) on the second connecting portion 3, at least for adjusting according to the ink printing requirements. For the temperature of the ink entering the nozzle 1, the adjustment method may include heating and/or cooling, and the control temperature is further preferably 0 to 70°C.

According to a preferred embodiment, the present invention sets the stirring blade 12 driven to rotate by the first motor 13 in the first unit 100 and sets the movement driven by the second motor 7 to move in the second unit 200 arranged in the horizontal direction. body and the second storage part 5 driven and rotated by the third motor 8 to prevent solid particles in the ink from settling during the printing process, thereby preventing uneven material distribution within the printed structure and easily causing the nozzle 1 to become clogged. Furthermore, although the above configuration method can prevent the precipitation of solid particles through various configuration methods, thereby achieving the effect of evenly distributing materials inside the printed structure, for a printing process with high printing accuracy, it is necessary to control the structure through the control unit 400 The operating parameters of the second unit 200 are adjusted to change the circulation pattern of the ink flowing into and/or out of the second storage part 5 , thereby improving the uniformity of material distribution by improving the dispersion of solid particles during the printing process. Preferably, the dispersion refers to the uniformity of material distribution within the printed structure, which can be characterized by the number of solid particles ejected from the nozzle 1 with the ink and/or the degree of dispersion of the particle size in a time series.

This arrangement is because the second communication part 3 is preferably in the shape of a thin tube with a hollow interior. The ink mixed with solid particles flowing in the second communication part 3 can generally only flow in the order in which it enters the second communication part 3. It is difficult to adjust the distribution of solid particles in the second communication portion 3 where disordered flow is less likely to occur. Therefore, the only way to control the entry of ink mixed with solid particles is by optimizing the distribution of solid particles in the second storage portion 5 . The sequence of the second connecting part 3.

Preferably, optimizing the distribution state of solid particles in the second storage part 5 requires at least regulating the feeding process of the second unit 200. However, since the ink usually needs to be protected from light, it is difficult for the collection unit 500 to directly store the second storage part 5. The distribution status of solid particles in the ink 5 is monitored in real time. Therefore, the control unit 400 of the present application can simulate the second storage based on the data information related to the solid particles contained in the ink obtained by the acquisition unit 500 provided on the first communication part 14 The distribution state of the solid particles in the second storage part 5 is adjusted, and the control signal is generated to adjust the distribution state of the solid particles in the second storage part 5, thereby ensuring the relative distribution of the solid particles in the ink entering the second communication part 3 and the nozzle 1. Evenly distributed to achieve uniform material distribution within the printed structure.

Preferably, the collection unit 500 disposed on the first communication part 14 can use an optical particle counting method to obtain data information related to solid particles contained in the ink flowing in the first communication part 14, wherein the solid particles are related to The data information may at least include particle number and/or particle size. Further, the acquisition unit 500 using the optical particle counting method can be based on the physical technology of extinction (LE) or light scattering (LS), or a combination of both physical technologies to achieve the acquisition of data information. For example, the collection unit 500 may use a sensor that implements single-particle optical sensing or an improved device for this type of sensor, where the selected device may be suitable for ink.

Preferably, the control unit 400 can determine the number and/or particle size of solid particles entering the second storage unit 5 in any time sequence based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit 500, and can simulate each particle size based on the physical and chemical properties of the ink. In time series batches, different solid particles enter the cavity of the second storage part 5 with the ink and stay in the position, thereby judging the real-time distribution status of the solid particles in the second storage part 5, and generating timely data for at least regulating the second storage part. The control signal of the operating state of the unit 200 is used to achieve a substantially uniform distribution of solid particles in the second storage part 5 based on quantity and/or particle size factors.

Preferably, when the control unit 400 simulates the residence position of the solid particles after entering the cavity of the second storage part 5 with the ink, the residence position is the solid particles predicted by the control unit 400 in the second storage part 5 in a stationary state. The final position is not the landing point position of the solid particles, but also considers that the solid particles that have landed at the bottom of the second storage part 5 at the landing point position are affected by the subsequent pulling process of the movable member 6 and further occur. In the case of displacement, for this situation, the control unit 400 can calculate the corresponding compensation distance to calculate the final position in combination with the landing point position. Preferably, the control unit 400 can predict the landing point position of the solid particles in each time series based on at least the particle size of the solid particles, the average pulling speed of the movable member 6 and the position of the opening on the second storage part 5, And at least the compensation distance can be calculated based on the particle size and the remaining pulling distance of the movable part 6. The degree of influence of solid particles of different particle sizes by the wave can be obtained through experiments, and the influence coefficient can be used to calibrate the compensation based on the influence coefficient. distance.

Preferably, for the case where the particle sizes of the solid particles entering the second storage part 5 are relatively uniform, that is, the particle sizes of the solid particles captured by the collection unit 500 in multiple initial consecutive adjacent time series are all at or When most of the particles are within the preset particle size range, the control unit 400 can drive the second motor 7 to drive the movable part 6 to move in the second storage part 5 away from the opening at a substantially uniform pulling speed. Further, the control unit 400 can compare the relationship between the number of solid particles in the same particle size range and the preset quantity threshold in any number of consecutive adjacent time series in real time, so as to adjust the second motor 7 based on the comparison result combined with the physical and chemical characteristics of the ink. output power, thereby speeding up or slowing down the pulling speed of the movable part 6, wherein the quantity threshold may at least include a maximum quantity threshold and a minimum quantity threshold. If the maximum quantity threshold is exceeded, it indicates that solid particles have approximately the same particle size. Will enter the second storage part 5 in a relatively aggregated manner. If the minimum quantity threshold is exceeded, it indicates that solid particles with approximately the same particle size will enter the second storage part 5 in a relatively loose manner. The relatively aggregated manner and the relative looseness All methods will affect the uniform distribution of solid particles in the second storage part 5 . Preferably, the control unit 400 can compare the number of particles with a preset number threshold only for solid particles whose particle size is within a preset particle size range to reduce the computing load, wherein the preset particle size range is at least based on (the The properties of the ink produced or purchased are determined to cover a relatively larger number of solid particles by selecting a relatively moderate particle size value.

Preferably, for the situation where the particle size of the solid particles entering the second storage part 5 is relatively non-uniform, that is, the particle size of the solid particles captured by the collection unit 500 in multiple initial consecutive adjacent time series is at least partially When the particle size exceeds the preset range, the control unit 400 can drive the second motor 7 to drive the movable member 6 to move in the second storage part 5 away from the opening at a substantially non-uniform pulling speed. Furthermore, the pulling speed of the movable member 6 can change in a trend of first decreasing and then increasing and then decreasing again after at least the second motor 7 provides the initial acceleration. Among them, due to the different particle sizes of the solid particles and their incoming The time sequence will affect its landing point position and final position in the second storage part 5. By setting at least two speed turning points, the pulling process of the movable part 6 is divided into at least three sub-processes with different speed change trends. Due to the physical obstruction of the movable member 6, the deceleration movement can limit the aggregation of relatively small-sized solid particles away from the open end, and the accelerating movement can limit the aggregation of relatively large-sized solid particles close to the open end. Furthermore, the change amplitude of the pulling speed can also be fine-tuned based on the relationship between the number of solid particles in a certain particle size range and the preset number threshold. The fine-tuning method can be the same as or similar to the above-mentioned preferred embodiment.

Preferably, the second unit 200 can switch to the storage process after completing the feeding process. During the storage process, the control unit 400 can drive the second storage part 5 to rotate around the axis along with the transition part 9 by driving the third motor 8 , wherein the control unit 400 can determine the rotation mode of the third motor 8 based on the simulated distribution state of the solid particles in the second storage unit 5. The rotation mode may be, for example, counterclockwise or clockwise continuous rotation in one direction, or It can be a combination of swinging and rotating clockwise and counterclockwise according to a certain rotation angle, and it is further preferably a swinging rotation of no more than 360 degrees in one direction.

Preferably, the rotation of the third motor 8 driven by the control unit 400 can at least ensure that the upward lifting speed of the ink is greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of the particles in the ink, wherein the control unit 400 can enter the second step based on the information acquired by the collection unit 500 . The number and particle size of the solid particles in the storage unit 5 are used to estimate the sedimentation speed of the solid particles with the largest particle size in the ink to set the rotation mode of the third motor 8 .

Preferably, the control unit 400 can adjust the pushing speed of the second motor 7 to output the movable member 6 based on the printing requirements and adjust the rotation speed of the third motor 8 to drive the second storage part 5 to match the pushing speed of the movable member 6, so that in During the discharging process of the second unit 200, it can also be ensured that the upward lifting speed of the ink is greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of the particles in the ink.

Further, based on the control unit 400 regulating the feeding process of the second unit 200, the distribution state of the solid particles in the second storage part 5 is optimized. The control unit 400 then changes the second motor 7 and/or the third motor. 8 operation mode to effectively regulate the discharging process of the second unit 200 to control the sequence of ink entering the second communication part 3 .

Preferably, the control unit 400 can assign a corresponding sequence to the ink mixed with solid particles that is ready to enter the second communication part 3 . This sequence is usually assigned to a unit volume of ink, so that the storage space of the second storage part 5 can be The storage space occupied by several unit volumes of ink, or called the second storage part 5 , contains several ink collections, and the ink collections closer to the opening can be assigned a higher order, so that the second motor 7 is driving the movable part. 6 when moving in the direction closer to the opening, the ink set with the more forward sequence can enter the second communication part 3 relatively earlier and perform sorted flow. This sorted flow means that the ink set can flow in the second communicating part 3 roughly according to the assigned sequence. flow in the connecting part 3, and disordered flow such as overtaking, stagnation, and mixing is difficult to occur. Preferably, for a unit volume of ink (or called an ink set), the unit volume can be determined by the control unit 400 based on at least the physical and chemical properties of the ink and solid particles and the structural parameters of the second storage part 5, and in any determined Under unit volume, the control unit 400 can define the space occupied by each sequence of ink sets, and their spatial configurations may be the same or different. The different spatial configurations are usually based on the structural parameters and fluid of the second storage unit 5 . The characteristics are specially set, especially for the area near the opening of the second storage part 5 .

Further, since the fluid has a completely different flow pattern at the narrow opening than in the open cavity, the control unit 400 may preferably determine the flow pattern near the opening of the second storage portion 5 based on the flow pattern of the ink at the narrow opening. The ink collection in the area has a special structure of space structure, which can be roughly in the form of multiple ink collections in the area near the opening of the second storage part 5 and sequentially assume the form of expanded coverage as the sequence grows. The expanded coverage is The form can be expressed as the space occupied by the ink set relatively behind the sequence among the two adjacent sequences of ink sets can roughly cover the space occupied by the ink set relatively early in the sequence, thus forming a covering form. In other words, in the The area near the opening of the second storage part 5 takes a cross-section orthogonal to the rotation axis, and the slices of this cross-section pass through the space occupied by at least two different sequences of ink collections. Based on this, the control unit 400 can at least achieve the exchange of some solid particles between the two spaces occupied by adjacent sequences of ink sets by adjusting the third motor 8 during the discharging process, wherein the control unit 400 controls the third motor 8 The adjustment of the three motors 8 is at least performed according to a plan determined by simulating the discharging process of the second unit 200 based on the predicted solid particle distribution state of the second storage unit 5 .

Preferably, through precise control of the control unit 400, the solid particles can enter the nozzle 1 along with the ink in the assigned sequence in such a manner that the number and/or particle size of the particles are approximately evenly distributed in the ink collection of each sequence and ejected towards the forming. The platform 16 is driven by the coordination of the moving components to achieve uniform material distribution within the printed structure.

Example 2

This embodiment is a further improvement of Embodiment 1, and the repeated content will not be described again.

The invention also discloses a 3D printing method, which may include the following steps:

S1. Add the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles into the first storage part 10, and turn on the first motor 13 to drive the stirring blade 12 to stir the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles to prevent the particles from settling;

S2. During the feeding process of the second unit 200, close the first on-off part 15, open the second on-off part 4, and start the second motor 7 to pull the movable part 6 to increase the storage space in the direction away from the opening. Move (move to the left in the figure), based on the movement of the movable member 6, the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles can be sucked from the first storage part 10 to the second storage part 5 through the second communication part 3, when After reaching the feed requirement, close the second on-off part 4;

S3. During the storage process of the second unit 200, the third motor 8 is turned on to drive the second storage part 5 to rotate around the axis through the transition part 9 to drive the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles in the second storage part 5 to rotate. , plays the anti-sediment function of low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles;

S4. During the discharging process of the second unit 200, open the first on-off part 15, and let the second motor 7 push the movable part 6 to move closer to the opening in order to reduce the storage space (move to the right in the figure), The ink reaches the nozzle 1 through the first communication part 14, and is sprayed to the designated position of the forming platform 16 through the nozzle 1, until the second motor 7 and the first on-off part 15 are closed after the current round of printing work is completed, wherein, currently The completion of a round of printing work may be that the ink in the second storage unit 5 is used up or the printing task ends;

S5. If the ink in the second storage unit 5 is used up by printing, return to the above-mentioned step S2, replenish the ink in the second storage unit 55, and then repeat the above-mentioned steps S3 and S4 until the printing task is completed.

Preferably, the control unit 400 is capable of generating corresponding control signals at least in the feeding process, storage process and/or discharging process of the second unit 200 to achieve uniform distribution of solid particles.

Illustratively, the 3D printing method of the present invention can complete the following steps:

S1. Add 500ml of 10% PLGA ink with low viscosity mixed with magnesium powder particles (30 microns in diameter) into the first storage part 10 with a volume of 500ml, and turn on the first motor 13 to drive the stirring blade 12 to stir at a speed of 30 rpm. Low viscosity ink mixed with solid particles to prevent particle precipitation;

S2. During the feeding process of the second unit 200, close the first on-off part 15, open the second on-off part 4, and start the second motor 7 to pull the movable part at the speed indicated by the control unit 400 (for example, 10 mm/s) 6 moves away from the opening with a tendency to increase the 10ml storage space (moves to the left in the figure). Based on the movement of the movable member 6, the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles can pass from the first storage part 10 through the second connection. Part 3 is sucked into the second storage part 5, and when the feeding requirement is reached, the second on-off part 4 is closed;

S3. During the storage process of the second unit 200, turn on the third motor 8, and drive the second storage part 5 through the transition part 9 to rotate in the direction indicated by the control unit 400 (with a rotation speed of ±180° and a swing speed of 30°/s. (reciprocating swing rotation) rotates around the axis to drive the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles in the second storage part 5 to rotate, and plays an anti-sediment function for the low-viscosity ink mixed with solid particles;

S4. During the discharging process of the second unit 200, open the first on-off part 15, and make the second motor 7 push the movable part 6 at the speed indicated by the control unit 400 (for example, 6 μm/s) to reduce the tendency of storage space. Move in the direction closer to the opening (move to the right in the figure), so that the ink reaches the nozzle 1 through the first communication part 14 (inner diameter 3mm). The temperature control assembly 2 can be used to maintain the ink temperature at 25°C, and the ink can exit from the nozzle 1 (inner diameter 3mm). 0.5mm) is sprayed onto the forming platform 16 placed in the -30°C forming space. The moving speed of the moving component is 20mm/s until the second motor 7 and the first on-off part are closed after the current round of printing work is completed. 15;

S5. If the ink in the second storage unit 5 is used up by printing, return to the above-mentioned step S2, replenish the ink in the second storage unit 55, and then repeat the above-mentioned steps S3 and S4 until the printing task is completed.

It should be noted that the above specific embodiments are exemplary, and those skilled in the art can come up with various solutions inspired by the disclosure of the present invention, and these solutions also belong to the disclosure scope of the present invention and fall within the scope of the present invention. within the scope of protection of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings are illustrative and do not constitute limitations on the claims. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. The description of the present invention contains multiple inventive concepts, such as "preferably", "according to a preferred embodiment" or "optionally" all indicate that the corresponding paragraph discloses an independent concept, and the applicant reserves the right to propose a division based on each inventive concept. The right to apply. Throughout the text, the features introduced by "preferably" are only optional and should not be understood as mandatory settings. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to waive or delete the relevant preferred features at any time.

Claims (10)

1. A 3D printing system, comprising:

a first unit (100) for storing ink with solid particles,

a third unit (300) for ejecting ink to print to form a 3D structure,

it is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

the 3D printing system is provided with a second unit (200) which is used for preprocessing ink and is arranged along the horizontal direction, a second storage part (5) of the second unit (200) can receive the ink flowing out of the first unit (100) and store the ink to be output to the third unit (300) when the ink is required to be printed, wherein the second storage part (5) can enable the upward lifting speed of the ink to be greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of at least part of solid particles in the ink through a mode of rotating along an axis during the storage of the ink stored in the second unit (200) so as to execute the preprocessing of the ink.

2. 3D printing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second storage part (5) is rotatable about an axis based on the driving of a third motor (8), wherein the third motor (8) is controlled by a control signal generated by a control unit (400) to drive the second storage part (5) for unidirectional continuous rotation or bidirectional swing rotation.

3. 3D printing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a movable member (6) driven by a second motor (7) to move along the axis of the second storage part (5) is arranged in the second storage part (5), the movable member (6) being movable in a direction away from the opening with a tendency to increase the storage space to introduce ink into the second storage part (5), the movable member (6) being movable in a direction closer to the opening with a tendency to decrease the storage space to discharge ink out of the second storage part (5).

4. A 3D printing system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the second unit (200) is connected to the first unit (100) and the third unit (300) respectively by different communication parts, wherein each communication part is correspondingly provided with an on-off part connected to the control unit (400) by an independent signal, and all on-off parts responding to the control signals of the control unit (400) can be arranged in a mode of being in a communication state at different times.

5. The 3D printing system according to any of claims 1-4, wherein an acquisition unit (500) for acquiring data information related to solid particles in the ink is configurable on a first communication part (3) connected to the first unit (100) and the second unit (200), wherein the data information related to solid particles comprises at least a particle number and/or a particle size.

6. The 3D printing system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit (400) is capable of adjusting the output power of the second motor (7) at least based on the data information related to the solid particles and/or the physicochemical properties of the ink acquired by the acquisition unit (500).

7. The 3D printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first unit (100) is provided with a first storage part (10) for containing ink, and the first storage part (10) is provided with a stirring blade (12) driven to rotate by a first motor (13).

8. 3D printing system according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that the first storage part (10) is provided with a gas valve (11) limited to one-way opening, wherein the opening degree of the gas valve (11) is adjustable at least on the basis of a change of the stirring manner of the stirring blade (12).

9. The 3D printing system according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the third unit (300) is configured with nozzles (1) arranged in a vertical direction, the ink ejected from the nozzles (1) towards the forming table (16) is at least temperature-regulated by means of a temperature-regulating assembly (2), wherein the movement assembly configured by the third unit (300) is capable of regulating the relative positional relationship of the nozzles (1) and the forming table (16).

10. A 3D printing method, characterized in that the 3D printing method comprises the steps of:

moving the movable member (6) in a direction away from the opening in a direction to increase the storage space during feeding of the second unit (200) to introduce ink into the second storage section (5);

in the process of storing the second unit (200), the second storage part (5) rotates around the axis to drive the ink in the second storage part (5) to rotate, and the second storage part (5) can rotate in a mode that the upward lifting speed of the ink is greater than or equal to the sedimentation speed of at least part of solid particles in the ink;

during the discharging of the second unit (200), the movable member (6) is moved in a direction approaching the opening with a reduced tendency of the storage space to discharge the ink out of the second storage portion (5),

wherein,,

the feeding process, the storage process and/or the discharge process of the second unit (200) can be regulated at least by means of a control signal generated by the control unit (400).